Koster, 48-109

"Back in 1976, a company called Exidy scored a first in video game history: its game Deathrace was taken off the market because of public concerns about the game's violent nature. Deathrace was loosely based on a movie called Deathrace 2000. The premise involved driving a car to run over pedestrians for points."

I hate when stores pull M-rated titles because special interest groups (controlled by over-protective, loud, obnoxious parents, who at protests seem more violent than the games they are protesting) throw hissy fits. All the hootin' and the hollerin' that these groups stir up over violent games they don't want on the market only draws MORE attention to game (which probably wouldn't have sold as well if they'd left it alone). For example, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas's sales went through the roof the minute the "hot coffee" mod was exposed and featured on every news channel in the country! If they were smart they would try to cover up news of the game instead of giving it more publicity!

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3 Comments

Keith Campbell said:

Cody I agree with you about video games that are being pulled because of special interest groups. I have seen some of these protests and it does seem like the protesters create more violence than the video games do. You are dead on that the more publicity the game gets from the media creates higher sales. Some people have never heard of the game, then they see it on the news ans all of a sudden want it.

A few years ago, a big-wig (who's name I've now forgotten...must've not been that important after all) tried to pass some kind of law that would force Maxis and EA Games to change the Sims' rating to M, because of the nudity. The only problem was, the Sims has a blur over the body when the sims took baths, showers, or use the toilet. The man in question argued that there were patches people could download to create "ahem" parts for your sims, because if you remove the blur, it's just like Barbie and Ken. He called the Sims a breeding ground for sexual predators and pedophiles. The Sims? Come on. Needless to say, no bills were passed, and my lovely little Sims still have their blur, with the T-rating intact.
Hope my little story helps you realize how much it annoys me too when politicians try to use their power over video games that they know nothing about.